When leaders don’t prioritize accessibility, those inactions speak way louder than any words they might say. People always want to claim that they are doing good, but those words are meaningless without action that matches the words.
Without leadership buy-in, accessibility efforts are underfunded, understaffed, and treated as an afterthought—if they’re addressed at all. This trickles down, creating an environment where both customers and employees with disabilities are left on the sidelines, their needs completely ignored.
If executives aren’t leading the charge on accessibility, it’s not just a missed opportunity—it’s a recipe for failure. When (not if) a demand letter is received from one of the plaintiff’s firms that specialize in ADA litigation, this inaction will not look good in front of a mediator or jury. Accessibility needs to be embedded in every decision, every strategy, and every project from the top down. It’s not just a checkbox; it’s a commitment that starts in the C-suite and impacts every segment of the organization.
If you’re in a leadership role, ask yourself: are you supporting accessibility or letting a toxic structure take root? And if you are an accessibility team member, what does your leadership look like and can you manage up to improve inclusion? It’s time to step up and make accessibility a core value. 
Alt: Toxic accessibility frequently starts with a lack of executive support.